


Gloves

by Dandy



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 13:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4627788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandy/pseuds/Dandy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Re-i-kun…”</p><p>“Gou-san… Gou-san, don’t you dare throw that snowba- GAH!”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gloves

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt ReiGou + "Don't you dare throw that snowba- goddamnit!" on tumblr.

Winter in Iwatobi brings drifts of snow, piling high on sidewalks and in doorways. Few people are out in this, and Gou and Rei are two of the few, their breath fogging up to meet the snowflakes that fall gently down around them. The sun is already peeking through the last of the clouds - this snowfall will be done before they even get to the store, on their errand to buy ingredients for Christmas cakes.

Gou’s wearing Rei’s gloves - her little pink ones, while fashionable, are not practical, as Rei reminded her several times before she finally gave in to his thicker woolen ones. In exchange, she holds one of his bare hands tightly in her gloved one, and maybe this was really all he wanted all along.

They should be past the need for excuses. Maybe by next snowfall.

“What sort of decorations were you thinking?”

“Well, traditionally, there are red and green decorations, correct? Holly berries and Santa Claus? That sort of thing?”

“Mmm, yeah, but I was thinking we could do something… a little more unexpected?” Gou taps her chin with a gloved finger. “Maybe silver and gold? With stars and gold and white holly instead.”

“That sounds beautiful,” Rei concedes, “but for another time.”

“What’s wrong with now?”

“It’s not very Christmas like.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Do you want to go with what everyone else is doing, or do you want to do something _beautiful_?”

Rei is not impressed. “I want to do something correct.”

Gou pouts, looking away from him. For a moment they continue on in silence, and then she lets go of his hand, bending to scoop up snow in her gloved palm.

A few steps ahead, Rei stops, looking back at her. “What are you doing?”

Gou raises the snowball, smiling innocently. “Say we’ll go with my decorating scheme, or I’ll throw this snowball.”

“Gou-san, please be rational about this.” Rei holds up his bare hands defensively. “That snow has been by the road, it’s probably dirty.”

“And you won’t have to find out if you just agree with me,” she says, in a sing-song.

“But red and green is more traditional!”

“Re-i-kun…”

“Gou-san… Gou-san, don’t you dare throw that snowba- GAH!”

The snowball hits him in the face. For a moment he can only gape, snow dripping off his face in slow plops. Gou giggles. Neither of them move.

Then, with a heavy finality, Rei wipes the snow off his face, taking off his glasses as he does and slipping them into his pocket.

“You’ve done it now, Gou-san,” he says, tone severe as he bends to scoop up his own snowball.

“Rei-kun…” Gou takes a step back. “Rei-kun, please, I spent all morning on my make-up- AAH!”

The snowball hits her cheek as she turns to avoid it. Rei’s laughter fills the air, only to be cut off as another snowball hits him.

And then the war is on. Snowballs fly from one to the other as they both giggle, laugh, and yell at each other with each volley. Drivers gape as they pass by, at the two high school students engaged in pelting each other with snow.

“Stop, stop!” Rei gasps after a few minutes, still laughing hard. He rubs his hands together, now red and numb from the cold snow. “My hands… I can’t keep doing this-”

“Rei-kun!” Gou stops laughing, rushing forward to take his hands in hers. “Why didn’t you stop me? You’re going to get frostbite!”

She pulls his hands to her, rubbing them with her gloves, and starts gently breathing on them with her warm breath. It fogs in the air around his hands, warming them slowly where they’re cradled in her palms.

After a bit, she looks up, to see Rei staring down at her, eyes wide and lips parted. He’s blushing, and seeing him like that makes her blush, too.

He looks away, pulls one of his hands free and attempts to adjust glasses that aren’t there. Gou doesn’t drop the other one completely, but she does lower their hands to her side, as they’d been previously.

“…How about a compromise?” Rei suggests, clearing his throat. “We’ll do half red and green, half silver and gold.”

“That sounds fair.”

Still blushing, Rei squeezes her hand and starts to lead her in the direction of the store again. Gou watches him a moment, then raises the hand still in hers to her lips again.

Rei squeaks. Gou giggles.


End file.
